Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Good Ol' Jessie Jackson and Other Racial Matters

Sometimes, I feel that the word African-American is synonynmous with the terms "displaced" and "self-hate". "Displaced" because we were stolen from our homeland, and it seems that several Caucasian people still don't want us here. You know, the Ku Klux Clan, Sons and Daughters of the Confederacy, and several unaffiliated Caucasians who just don't like African-Americans, but don't feel the need to organize with others who share their hate. I have also heard that a lot of Africans have a lesser opinion of African-Americans. I'm not sure if that's entirely true, but in my mind, that means that African-Americans aren't truly accepted anywhere. Many people don't want us here, and "Going Back to Africa", a favorite saying of many racists over the years, isn't really an option, either.

The term "self-hate" comes in when I see the way African-Americans rob and kill each other. I also think "self-hate" is manifested in the "crabs in a barrell" mentality that I have seen affect many African-Americans. They don't want to work to succeed, or haven't been able to suceeed, but they can't be happy for you. Case in point, the statement that Jesse Jackson made about Barack Obama recently. Okay, I'll try to clean it up. Jesse Jackson stated between commercial breaks on a news show that he feels that Barack Obama "talks down to Black people". He also stated that he wanted to cut his "testicles" off. Okay, I had lost respect for Jesse Jackson and his "glory hog" partner Al Sharpton long ago, but this is an all-new low for the good Reverend Sound-Bite. This is clearly jealousy because Obama is about to do what Jesse never could: Secure the Democaratic Party nomination. Not only was this a totally inappropriate thing to say, it was also reckless. There are unwritten codes of behavior called "Man Laws". In my neck of the woods, if you threaten to cut off a part of a man's genitalia, you had better be prepared for a physical encounter. Normally, you couldn't say that to another man's face, and then walk away. In my mind, Jackson's statement was akin to challenging Obama to a "duel", substituting the white glove slap across the face for an inflammtory statement. Honestly, if Jesse Jackson said something like that about me, we could not be within a 10-mile radius of each other. Lord forgive me, but I would view him as a threat to my livelihood. He would have to be dealt with in the most efficient manner. I am not advocating murder, I am not that savage, but we would most certainly have to "take it outside", so to speak.

It saddens me that even our leaders are not immune to the "self-hate" and jealousy that has plagued and hindered African-Americans for centuries. It is not enough for other races to hate us and wish us the worst, we have to deal with cancers from within. I've seen it all my life. It seems that several African-Americans, like Mr. Jackson, are happy as long as someone doesn't "outdo" them. Maybe I'm a dreamer (and I'm not the only one), but I always believed that if a leader is elected,makes good on most of his promises,and is a positive force for unity, then that would be good for all of his constituents, whether African-American or not. I don't know if Obama can pull off everything he talks about. I do believe, however, that he will fight for that change with his dying breath. I feel that his potential success could be beneficial for several people. Sadly, Mr. Jackson does not share this belief.

The one glimmer of hope I have is that this incident could be the catalyst for Jesse Jackson to fade away from the spotlight. Honestly, I think that he has outlived his usefulness and that his heart is simply not in "the struggle". I am also glad that it has shown several formerly steadfast Jackson supporters his true colors. Hi, Mom, that sentence was about you. At the end of the day, African-Americans are going to have to realize that before we can ever overcome racism and the hatred of others, we are going to have to learn to truly love one another, encourage one another, and forgo any foolish thoughts of envy. Time wasted on envy and contempt is time better spent on positive pursuits, whether for personal gain or collective growth. I would think that a "seasoned inidvidual" like Jesse Jackson would know that. Hopefully, this "old dog" will learn a new trick, and not be the "false prophet" that I believe him to be. Jealousy and hate slows progress, and sometimes causes you to look like an idiot. Be easy, readers.